1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in slam-capable rotary latches and locks of the type that form the subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,295 and others of the Referenced Parent and Sister Cases. More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements in a rotary latch of the type that employs a single rotary jaw that is releasably retained in its latched position by a rotary pawl, with the latch having a pair of spaced housing side plates that sandwich the rotary jaw and the rotary pawl, with the side plates defining aligned first and second U-shaped notches that cooperate with a third U-shaped notch formed in the rotary jaw to concurrently receive and latchingly retain within the confines of the first, second and third U-shaped notches a suitably configured strike formation, with housing side plate portions that define a selected one of the first and second U-shaped notches being rigidified and strengthened by the close proximity presence of a flange 1) that is formed integrally with side plate portions that define the selected notch and 2) that extends transversely to bridge between the housing side plates at a location near the first and second U-shaped notches--wherein the improvements include housing side plate formations that aid in positioning, guiding and accommodating movement of relatively movable components, and improved connections formed between non-movable components.
2. Prior Art
Flush mountable, paddle-handle operated latches and locks are known that employ rotary latch bolts, also referred to as "rotary jaws," wherein the jaws are provided with U-shaped strike-receiving notches for latchingly receiving and releasably retaining suitably configured strike formations. Disclosures of latch and/or lock units of this type are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,642 issued Mar. 23, 1982 to John V. Pastva, Jr., entitled PADDLE LOCKS WITH HANDLE DISCONNECT FEATURES; U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,412 issued Apr. 17, 1990 to Jye P. Swan et al, entitled VEHICLE DOOR LOCK SYSTEM PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF SPACED ROTARY LATCHES; U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,906 issued Jan. 30, 1990 to Lee S. Weinerman et al entitled VEHICLE DOOR LOCK; and, U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,491 issued Dec. 3, 1991 to Lee S. Weinerman et al entitled VEHICLE DOOR LOCK SYSTEM. The disclosures of these four U.S. patents are incorporated herein by reference.
The rotary latch and/or lock units that are disclosed in the four patents identified above are of a relatively heavy duty type that often are employed in "personnel restraint applications," typically on doors of passenger compartments of vehicles. These heavy duty units employ pairs of housing-mounted rotary jaws, with the jaws being sandwiched between pairs of housing side plates, and with notches that are formed in each pair of rotary jaws being configured to receive and engage opposite sides of a suitably configured strike formation, typically a cylindrical stem of a striker pin. While both of the housing side plates are provided with U-shaped notches, neither of these notches defines a strike engagement surface that cooperates with a notched rotary jaw to latchingly receive and releasably retain a strike formation. The notches that are formed in the jaws, not the notches that are formed in the housing side plates, receive, engage and latchingly retain suitably configured strike formations.
Lighter duty rotary latch and lock units that employ single rotary jaws also are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,203 issued Jan. 26, 1982 to Edwin W. Davis entitled FLUSH-MOUNTABLE LOCK WITH ACTUATOR DISCONNECT FEATURE discloses 1) the use of a single rotary latch jaw that is nested within and supported by portions of the housing of a flush mountable paddle-handle assembly, and 2) the use of a single U-shaped housing-carried notch that cooperates with the U-shaped notch formed in a rotary jaw to receive and latchingly retain a generally cylindrical strike formation. The disclosure of this fifth prior patent is incorporated herein by reference.
3. The Referenced Cases
Not addressed by the five patents that are identified above is a long-standing need for a relatively light duty rotary latch that employs only a single rotary jaw instead of a pair of rotary jaws, that employs first and second housing side plates that define, respectively, first and second notches that are of generally U-shape, with the first and second U-shaped notches being positioned and aligned for cooperating with a third U-shaped notch that is formed in the single rotary jaw to receive and latchingly retain within the confines of the first, second and third notches a suitably configured strike formation, and with the latch making advantageous use of a transversely extending flange that is formed integrally with one of the first and second housing side plates to rigidify and strengthen housing side plate portions that define a strike-engaging surface of at least one of the aligned first and second U-shaped notches. Features of the inventions of the Referenced Parent and Sister Cases address this need--and also may employ improvement features of the type that are the subject of the present invention.
The Referenced Design Case relates to a design for a Handle and Housing Assembly that may be utilized in conjunction with latches and locks of the type that are disclosed in the Referenced Parent and Sister Cases which also may employ improvement features of the type that are the subject of the present invention.